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3 underground alternatives to Spotify and Apple Music for music lovers

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When it comes to music apps, most of the talk is about the competition between Spotify and Apple Music. While these are great choices for most mainstream music, they’re far from the only quality options available. For music lovers looking for something more, these three applications can introduce you to new music, new artists and the stories behind it all.

In this video, find out all about these music applications for everything from streaming the hottest mixtapes, to discovering fresh sounds, and even getting music news to read while you stream. After downloading these hidden gems, you won’t be able to leave your headphones behind ever again.

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Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Just another not so ordinary kid living this thing we like to call life.
Spotify is making it even easier to judge your friends’ musical tastes
Spotify logo on a phone.

An unreleased feature on Spotify, called “Tastebuds” is designed to let you discover new music through your friends’ lists by curating a playlist based on your and your friends’ similar tastes in music. 

Jane Manchun Wong, an app researcher who unlocks new features before they launch, tweeted screenshots of the unreleased Tastebuds feature on Wednesday, December 18. Based on Wong’s screenshot, the Tastebuds tab would be located in Spotify’s main navigation. The feature’s description says, “Now you can discover music through friends whose taste you trust.”

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What is spatial audio? The 3D sound experience fully explained
Person listening to spatial audio using Apple AirPods Max headphones.

Since Apple added “spatial audio” to the Apple Music streaming service and the AirPods family of wireless earbuds and headphones in 2021, it feels like you can’t read about new audio products or services without running into that term. And just a few short years later, it’s seemingly everywhere.

This has led to a lot of misconceptions about what spatial audio is, how it works, and why you need to hear it for yourself. People often ask, “If Apple created spatial audio, why are other companies claiming they do it, too?” The answer is that Apple didn’t create it, and you certainly don’t need to own its products to experience spatial audio.

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How to download music from SoundCloud on desktop and mobile
Soundcloud Interface on a Macbook.

If you’re a huge music fan, you’ve probably combed through the many playlists, artists, and albums of your Spotify or Apple Music subscription. But what about all the indie artists of the world? Some music-streaming platforms are better than others at celebrating the
‘unsung gem’ acts, but one of the most reliable forums for new, off-the-grid tunes is SoundCloud.

Founded in 2007, SoundCloud has always prioritized music that’s a bit under the radar. With over 320 million tracks in its library, the platform will even let you download a majority of its songs and albums.

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